However, activists and journalists continue to work hard to expose even more abuses that might still lurk in the shadows. Some progress has been made. Derrick Broze reported in January of last year about Chicago activist, Freddy Martinez, who filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the CPD in 2014. Martinez was seeking details regarding the much-maligned use of Stingray cell phone surveillance. Despite the Chicago PD refusing to answer the request, a Cook County, Illinois judge ordered the Chicago Police Department to allow her to review documents related to cell phone surveillance tools. This case is illustrative of the pressure that needs to be exerted if we are to get answers about what our public servants are truly doing on our behalf.

But Stingray surveillance is merely one component of a much larger surveillance network that Chicago has set up and continues to expand, which even includes an explicit mission to embrace “predictive policing” — essentially, the concept of pre-crime that most people hoped was relegated purely to science fiction.

In late 2013 the public was alerted to an index of approximately 400 people who had been identified by a computer algorithm as being future threats to commit violent crime. Without having actually committed a crime, some of those on the list were being visited by Chicago police warning them that they were already being watched. This index came to be known as the “Heat List.”

When the Chicago Police Department sent one of its commanders to Robert McDaniel’s home last summer, the 22-year-old high school dropout was surprised. Though he lived in a neighborhood well-known for bloodshed on its streets, he hadn’t committed a crime or interacted with a police officer recently. And he didn’t have a violent criminal record, nor any gun violations. In August, he incredulously told the Chicago Tribune, “I haven’t done nothing that the next kid growing up hadn’t done.” Yet, there stood the female police commander at his front door with a stern message: if you commit any crimes, there will be major consequences. We’re watching you. (Source)

At issue is the fact that no one knows how the algorithm works, nor has there been sufficient oversight to judge its effectiveness or lawfulness. Moreover, that initial list of 400 has apparently grown to 5,000. Three journalists are now suing the Chicago police for information that can explain exactly how people are winding up on this secretive list now called the “Strategic Subject List.” As reported by Shadow Proof:

Journalists George Joseph, Jamie Kalven, and Brandon Smith submitted freedom of information requests under the Illinois law in 2016. The Chicago Sun-Times submitted their request for records in May, according to the filed complaint [PDF].

Joseph sought records on the risk factors that are used when placing individuals on the list and communications about increasing the number of people on the list.

Records on “the algorithm that determines who makes it on the Strategic Subject List” were sought by Kalven. He also requested records that included manuals or guides on the use of the interface employed to list people.

Smith also requested records that would reveal the secret algorithm underpinning a key component of predictive policing used by Chicago police. He wanted data showing “risk scores of all people added to the list in its first two years of regular or non-test use.” He also wanted to know if the first 5,000 individuals on the lists were charged with new crimes in the two years following their inclusion.

The CPD denied Smith’s request for information on 5,000 individuals and called it “unduly burdensome.” It indicated it would issue an additional response rejecting other parts of the request but Smith never received a further response.

As we can see, it is clear that not only is the culture of secrecy being embraced by the CPD, but there is also an arrogant dismissal of such investigation as “unduly burdensome.” However, these particular journalists have an excellent track record of applying the proper pressure needed to defend the rights of Chicago’s citizens, explaining why full disclosure is essential.

Smith played an instrumental role in forcing the release of CPD video showing Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald. He killed McDonald and the city of Chicago initially tried to conceal the video from the public.

“For decades, it’s been law enforcement’s [mode of operation] to deny everything on the basis that everything they do is investigation and thus privileged. That’s just not the case, according to the freedom of information law in Illinois and in most places,” Smith declared.

Smith continued, “This is what the law was made for is cases like this, where the government is making decisions that could have really adverse effects on people. And we have to know how and why they’re making decisions.”

…

Kalven was responsible for forcing the release of numerous police misconduct records through a lawsuit that culminated in a decision by an Illinois appeals court in 2014.

“We have learned too many times that a lack of transparency into the Chicago Police Department leads to unconstitutional policing and violations of civil rights,” said Matthew Topic of Loevy & Loevy, the civil rights law firm handling this lawsuit.

“While novel forms of policing like this aren’t necessarily bad, it’s crucial that the public know how these lists are generated and whether they result in discrimination and civil rights violations.”

Every police department should be open to requests from its citizens to explain their conduct, but if ever there was a department that needs to be forced to reveal its procedures, it is the Chicago PD. The outcome of this lawsuit bears watching as the trend toward pre-crime surveillance is spreading quickly to police departments across the country. Hopefully, Chicago’s judiciary follows its previous precedent to compel police to provide this information.

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My biggest thing is with how much corruption is in the Chicago Police Department why is crime at all time high?

TrevorD

Just look at who `controls` the chaos and why

mayday911us.

Well mainly I’m just pointing out the obvious in my mind I know who is an actual charge in that city.

But I do wonder if they installed the shot Microphone in that city?

Because you’re sure know that nothing to report black shots.

TrevorD

Sorry I am not sure what you mean, what is shot microphone and black shots?. I am in England and my American English is far from perfect, still working on it.

mayday911us.

Oh shot microphone was placed to detect gunshots in American cities. Like Chicago like Maryland the bad city’s for the gun crime. Just put shot microphone into your search engine for you and it will bring up articles on it. It has been used to explain when people were shot exactly what time they were shot it hasn’t stop anything but it explains what they were shot.

With the whole black thing, as in African-American shoot the gun it won’t detect it. That was the joke I was attempting to relay to you but I guess I failed that that sorry.

No your English is fine it’s just you didn’t know what I was talking about. Don’t think your English is wrong or bad it’s just in the context of what we’re talking about between countries.

I haven’t seen them talking about banning the assault knives Banning assault vehicles Banning assault bombs. Yes I remember the whole turning your knife campaign from over there a while ago.

Have two of the same objects together that I’ve said.
It’s like which spoon going to make people fat?
Which pencil us in a make people missed spelled words?
Which knife is going to to stab people?
Which truck is going to kill people?

A microphone array that detects gunfire, add 3 or more mics together to triangulate and you can determine exact location. Black shot is when Vic and Perp are both black.

TrevorD

Oh I see, thanks.

newty

The Rahm cabal strikes again

TrevorD

Indeed and Zionist-occupied Chicago continues to be a great template for the future of Humanity if we let it.

RandyJ/ProudSurvivor

I’m by no means a Luddite, but it can be argued that technology is meant to create an open society. To the point at which the courts feel compelled-or, perhaps, enabled-to rule that there are no longer any private places. Thankfully we’re still a republic. A banana republic, but what the hell…..

SP_88

With criminals like Rahm Emanuel running a very corrupt city, it’s no wonder why there is systemic corruption in the police department.
It should be obvious when the Chicago PD refuses to provide information about their procedures and methods that something is wrong. They are obviously trying to hide something because they are afraid that we will object to it. And if they believe that we will object to it, they must know that it’s wrong. Otherwise why all the secrecy?
What we need is a way to enforce pre-crime in our police departments across the country. It is unConstitutional to enforce pre-crime against citizens who have not committed a crime, but it certainly isn’t unConstitutional to do it to public officials and police officers. They work for us. And they must operate within the law. And that means complete transparency and full disclosure of all documents that fall within the Freedom of Information Act.
If we don’t pressure these departments to be transparent, this culture of treating citizens like enemy combatants is only going to get worse, and these advanced tactics will spread to other police departments like a cancer. And then, violating the rights of citizens will be a regular occurrence to a much higher degree than it already is.